Railway mail catching and delivering apparatus.



FQE. COYNE, S. G. TAYLOR, J11. & J. ESKHOLME. RAILWAY MAIL OATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS. APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 3, 1911. 1,016,479. Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

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JR .'& J. W. ESKHOLME. DELIVERING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILEDAUG. s, 1911.

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RAILWAY MAIL CATOHING AND UNITED sTATEs' PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK E. COYNE, SAMUEL G. TAYLOR, JR., AND JOHN W. ESKHOLIVIE, OF CHICAGO, I

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO SEBREE MAIL EXCHANGING DEVICE 00., OF CARROLLTON, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Application filed August 3, 1911. Serial No. 642,067.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK E. COYNE,

'SAMUEL GJTAYLOR, Jr., and JOHN 1V. ESK- HOLME, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements 1n Railway Mail Catching and Delivering Apparatus; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway mail catchers and deliverers, and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, w

The invention, as'disclosed herein, is particularly applicable to railway catchers and deliverers of the type described in Letters Patent No. 884,868, dated April 14, 1908,

and No. 939,557, dated November 9, 1909, granted to W. T. Sebree, in which the mail sacks or pouches are adapted to be caught in chain nets carried respectively by the mail car and by a crane at the side of the road bed, said nets being secured to frames hinged respectively to the car and to the road side crane.

The device includes supporting members, one for the car and one for the road side crane, adapted for the support of the mail pouches in alinement with the respective chain nets within which they are to be caught.

The invention relates particularly to an improved construction of the nets used in such an apparatus and to means for attaching the same to their supporting frames, and its advantages will appear clearly as we proceed with our specification.

i In the drawingsFigure 1 is a view representing in front elevation the nets carried respectively by the car and by the road side crane in the position which they occupy atthe time the mail sacks are adapted to be caught. Fig. 2 is a view representing a section through the car net on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the dotted line indicating the position of the not when distended at the time of catching the mail sack. Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the chain net on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the car side chain net; Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary view showing the manner of securing the chains comprising the net together at the points where they intersect; Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of a device by means of which the net is secured to its frame.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, '10 indicates a car to the side of which, adjacent the usual door opening there is hinged a frame 11, to which is secured a chain net 12. 13 indicates an upright road side crane to whichis hinged a rectangular frame 14. carrying a chain net 15. At the top of. the crane13 is secured an arm 16 adapted for the suspension of a mail bag or bags in line with and at an elevation to be caught by the chain net 12 carried by the car. To the The nets for catching the mail pouches are made of a plurality of lengths of chain, said lengthsbeing arranged in two sets, the

. chain lengths of one set being arranged at an angle to those of the other set. As shown in'the drawings, the one set of chain lengths are arranged in parallel, horizontal lines, while those of the other set are arranged in parallel vertical lines. The ends of the chain lengths are connected to the net supporting frame, and the net comprised by the chain lengths is larger than the associated frames so that when distended it may hang down below the frame in the form of apocket as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Referring first to the car side net 12, the same consists of a plurality of parallel vertical lengths of chain 12 and a plurality of horizontal lengths of chain 12 arranged. to intersect the said vertical lengths of chain. As shown in the drawings, there are seven vertical'lengths 12 of the'chain andfour horizontal lengths 12'. At each point of intersection of the horizontal and vertical chain lengths, a link a of the horizontal length of chain extends loosely through a link b of the vertical length.of chain, as clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 5.- The vertical link I; has its side members bent inwardly, so as to decreasethe space between them and thus prevent the'possibility of the next adjacent I horizontal'link a or a at either side of the I horizontal link a passing through the link Z). Bythisconstruction, lateral separation of the vertical lengths of chain to a limited extent is permitted at their points of intersection and connection with the horizontal.

' lengths of chainthus providing a flexibility of movement between said lengths of chain which tends to ease up the force ofthe jar of the mail pouch when it strikes the chain, and thus reduce the eifect of the force of the impact. By the flexible connection described, a limited relative yielding vmovement of the chain lengths comprising the net, after the net has'assumed the form of a pocket, is made possible,'thus relieving the rigidity of the shock and facilitating -the operation of the device.

As shown in the drawings, the upper two horizontal chain lengths 12 are shorter than the: lower horizontal chain lengths 12. Likewise the outer vertical chain lengths 12* are shorter than the intermediate 'vertical chain lengths 12 All of the chain lengths are longer than the distances spacing the respective frame bars to which they are connected. By this arrangement the net is castruck by the mail pable of assuming a bag-like shape, such as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, when it is pouch, said net forming a pocket c-below the level of thelower frame bar 14: into whichthe mail sack dropsafter the force with which it strikes the net has" throughthe apertures in said lugs and is prevented from'longitudinal movement with reference to said lugs. by means of cotter pins in each end. The pairs of-lugs are spaced apart a. distance substantially equal to the distance that the chains to which they are connected are to be spaced, and the lugs of each pair are spaced from each other to the net aydistance suflicient to permit the links at the ends of the chains to be inserted between them fiatwise. Each rod 21- extends through the end links of chain lengths which it is intended to secure to memben' Y It is apparent that the means described for attac mg the chain lengths of the net frame provides a construction, by means of which .the net may be easily dethe associated frame .taehed-from its frame when renewals or re- --pa1rs are required.

The road side net 15 is similar in construction to the car side net but is preferably made larger as shown in the drawings. Said net has ten vertical chain lengths 25 and six horizontal chain lengths 26. The six intermediate vertical chain lengths 25 are longer than the two chain lengths 25 at either side. Likewise the three lower horizontal chain lengths 26 are longer than the three upper ones, 26. Like means is used for attaching the chain ends to the frame, 27 indicating the spaced pairs of apertured lugs, and 28 the .rod extending through the apertures in said lugs and through the links engaged between the said pairs of lugs. We claim as our invention: 1. In a device of the class described, in

' combination with an open frame, a net supported thereby comprising a plurality of chain lengths arranged in two sets, the chain lengths of one set extending at an angle to and intersecting the chain lengths of the other set, and the links of one set of chain lengths at the points of intersection extending loosely through the links of the other set. I v

2. In a device of the classdescribed, in combination with an open frame, a net supported thereby comprising a plurality of chain lengths arranged in two sets, the chain lengths of each set being parallel and those of the one set extending in substantially vertical lines and those of the other set extending in substantially horizontal lines, the

.linksj'of one set of chain lengths at the points of intersection extending loosely through the links of the other set. 1

3. In a device of the class described, in combination with an open frame, a net supported thereby comprising a pluralit of chain lengths arrangedin two sets, the c ain lengths of each set being substantially parallel, and one set of chain lengths extending in horizontal lines and the other set, in vertical lines, the chain lengths of one set intersecting the chain lengths of the other. set,

- and the links of the set of horizontal chain lengths at the points of intersection extending loosely through the. links of the other set. a

.4. In a device of theclass described, in combination with an open frame, a net supported thereby comprising a plurality of. chain lengths arranged in two sets, the chains of each set being substantially parallel, and one set of chain lengths extending in'horizontal lines and the other set in vertical lines, the chain lengths of one set intersectin the chain lengths of the other set, and the Iinks of the set of horizontal chain lengths at the points of intersection extendin loosely through thelinks of the other Beg eachlink of the vertical set of chain lengths through which a link of the horibetween said: lateral members;

zontal set extends havingits side members bent inwardly to-prevent the adj acent links of the horizontal chainlengths' front passing 5. In 'a' devic'jeof, the class ends to said?" fratne, ,thechain lengths of e and the chain "lengths, of the horizontal set median nearer I longer than those nearer the upper. part [of said frame and the chain lengths of the Vera the Vertical. media nd ine pf I 1 member. attached to -said- ;fraine member; and? ticalset nearer said gfrajne. being longer-than :the chain lengths nearer the :vertic'alf sides of I said f frame. v

, be. In a device. prime" classndescribed;

combinationyvith an npright'openJfranie; a' net corn'pmsing a.

, p u a l y ef-" 'nt s ne chain lengths arranged in a v cured at theinends to said frame,

vertical other set extending in substantially hori zontal lines, and-the chainlrlen'gths ofclthef horizontal set nearer the low'erpartof said frame being longer than those-nearer the,

upper partof said frame, and;thelengths of'the vertical set-nearer the vertical the chain lengths nearer the Vertical sides, of. said frame; and the links of the horizontal i b d, I combinationwith anrupright open frame; a net comprising'a plurality of chain len ths arranged in two sets-and secured at t eirj' twolsetsfl and se-. r the chainlengths of' one set extending in substantially line of said frame being longer than,

1 mg provided with a p li rality of' pairs of lugs having-v apertures {arranged in -'aline mam-11a to saidframe member, there being. a

pain of; said lugs tor the-endjqf each flexible;

receive a link at: the end -ojf an associated j flexible member, and a red for feaph" ifr'atne Lmenibr extendingttlirough-rthe apertures in 'saidilugs iretaining it'in"pos ition. r Inf testimony, that We claim theforegoing asour inv ntion we; alfix onr isignatures inj thersence of'thlf-QQ witnesses this -24ath'dayof nlyg-Al' D; 1911,"; i

' FREDERICK" E; COYNE.

- SAMUEL- G.. TAYLORJR JOHN=WESKHOLMEy "-Wi tnesseS: j

-- ORGE F- I N N; Jr;

copies this patent may betb tained for fiy'eeents yacht ad dressingthe floni'misploner of Patents.

thelugs of eachpair fbeing {spaced 'ap artto-"5 5 

